Quartzsite

Camping at Quartzsite


Desert sunset

Well, I've been there now. Spent half a day walking though booths and didn't see a thing I needed or wanted so I'm heading out to quieter places now. Probably will head south toward Yuma. There is a wildlife area just north of Yuma that allows camping. It is called Mittry Lake.

Downtown Quartzsite


Inside the big tent


Vendors booths


A unique truck camper parked near me

January 19 -24, 2011

Jan. 19, 2011

Tombstone

I explored Tombstone this morning and got to see where 'the gunfight' supposedly took place. I also watched a movie on the history of Tombstone. It burned down twice and was rebuilt. That is how it got it's name 'a town to tough to die'.

Around noon I got back to the camper and decided it was okay to fill my water tank, and flush all the anti-freeze out of the system. It just doesn't seem right to do that in January, but I finally got up the nerve. Water came pouring out the back of the camper as I filled the tank. PANIC!!!!!! I found the culprit though. The drain hose for the water tank had come loose from the drain faucet. I stuck them back together and was in business, WHEW!!!!!!


Gunfight

I finally headed north toward Tucson, but I stopped at a National Wildlife refuge on the way up to explore a ghost town called Fairbanks and the cemetery for the town. I picked up a travel bug at a geocache and will take it to another cache. That is how I found out about Fairbanks in the first place looking for geocaches on-line.


Grave at Fairbanks cemetery

I found Tucson Mountain Park and Gilbert Ray Campground about 3:00 and set up camp. I just sat outside in the sunshine and read and enjoyed the 70+ degree weather. I took a walk around the park around 5:00 to enjoy the sunset and scenery. Lots of folks from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia here. This is a county park and it is very nice. I highly recommend it.


Campsite at Gilbert Ray Campground

Jan. 20, 2011


Desert scenery

I got up this morning about 7:00 and notched up the thermostat to 70 degrees. I keep it around 55 at night. I wanted to make a nature hike at 9:00 led by some volunteer naturalists here at the park. It was well worth it. I learned about:
Chain fruit chola
Pallo Verde trees
Ironwood trees
Creosote bushes or greasewood bushes
Ocotillo
Desert mistletoe
Fish hook barrel cactus
Pin cushion cactus
Hedgehog cactus
Saw a red-tailed hawk
Overall, ti was a great hike, and the naturalists did a great job.


Chain fruit chola

I headed to Tucson from here to stop at a Lowes. I went through a dip the other day and pulled the only tie down loose that I hadn't reinforced with metal. I'll rig up a temporary fix until I can et home and have the machine shop make me a couple of metal plates to reinforce it.


Campsite at Organ Pipe National Monument

My cell phone hadn't been working so I stopped at a Radio Shack and the clerk pulled out the batter and sim card and put them back in and it works great now. I called home and found out they had 8“ of snow last night and it is 75 and sunny here.


Organ Pipe Cactus

Made it to Organ Pipe National Monument today.

Jan 21, 2011


Desert moon through camper window

Went to the visitor center and got acclimated to the park. Watched a movie and a stone napping demonstration. Very interesting. Ed Gay, the guy who gave the demo was a park ranger at a national monument in the Texas Panhandle. It was once a stone quarry where a lot of Native Americans got their stone for tools and weapons. He had learned to nap 40 years ago so he could give demonstrations there to visitors and scouts, etc. I would like to become good at that.


Stone napping tools

I took a 21 mile ride in a park van with some volunteer rangers up into the Ajo Mountains. It was very informative and scenic.
Additional sightings to yesterdays include:
Mexican Jumping Bean bush (poisonous)
Elephant tree
And some other things I can't remember.


Double arch viewed on Ajo Mountain road

Went to an evening program on mining and ranching in the area before the park was established.

Jan. 22, 2011


Gambel's quail

I ate breakfast and watched cardinals, cactus wrens, and Gambel's quail browsing below the camper window. There are lots of Gambel's quail here. It is amazing how everything in the desert adapts to conditions. The Gambel's quail are conditioned to not reproduce in really dry years because there would be no food for the chicks.


At the ruins of Victoria Mine

It was another beautiful day and I took a hike up to an old mine (Victoria Mine). Meet some folks from Ontario who were in their second winter here in the southwest.


Victoria Mine ruins

This campground has solar showers so I have been able to shower the last couple of days. It felt great.

Today I saw a Gila woodpecker, curved bill thrasher, and a phanopepla (similar to a cardinal but black).

Jan. 23, 2011

Broke camp and headed up to Alamo Canyon to hike before I left the park entirely. There is an old ranch up the trail I hiked and I got some photos of it including the well. This is a more lush region so the canyon must hold some water near the surface. I did see some very deep grinding holes made by the indians just below the ranch. Some of the grinding holes were quite deep so they must have been used over several generations.


Old ranch at Alamo Canyon



Indian grinding hole in Alamo Canyon

From here I headed to Yuma to resupply and get a site where I can fill with water and dump the holding tanks, and do laundry. I hoped to have internet here but I can't get it to work. I also washed my phone so I a totally out of touch now. I'll have to go by somewhere in the morning and see what I can do for a phone. I think this one is cooked. YIKES!!!!!!!!! I'm getting so I don't get too worked up about little mishaps like that. Something will work out.

Update: I'm at a McDonald's updating this blog. Went to Walmart this morning and got a new disposable phone. Sim cards still seems to work.

Happy Trails!

Winter 2011 Trip - Quartzsite and other places

Its cold and its getting colder
Its gray and white and winter all around
And oh I must be getting older
All this snow is trying to get me down

Theres a fire in the corner slowly dyin
Sometimes I just dont feel like goin on
And yet I know its more than worth the waiting
For another chance to see the summer sun

Come on, shine on me!
From 'Season Suite' by John Denver


Home the day before I left

I like this song because it reminds me that the seasons will change no matter how long they seem. As I get older though my patience for that change of seasons is limited, at least during the winter it is. So I am heading out to Quartzsite.

For those of you who have never heard of Quartzsite, it is an RV event. Every winter thousands of snowbirds from the north converge on this lonely little desert town in southern Arizona. Vendors seeing such a large market in those snowbirds head to this winter roost to pedal their goods. Every January there is a huge RV show. Not only RVs are sold there but also everything one who RVs could ever want from dish drainers to solar panels. I have read about Quartzsite for years so this winter is the winter that I have decided to check it out. Last winter Carol went with me down to the Rio Grand Valley in Texas, but this winter she has chosen to stay here and keep the home fires burning. She also works part time and it is hard for her to be gone for several weeks at a time.

My planned departure was originally January 10 but old man winter had other ideas. It did snow but I was able to leave on the 12th so I'm not too far off schedule. I fully intend to hightail it south as fast as possible since old man winter is sending a jolt of artic air south to give me a send off. Made it as far as Durant, OK the first day. Was going to dry camp but it is so cold, 15 tonight decided to get a spot at Choctaw KOA next to Choctaw Casino, so I could have electricity tonight. I just don't trust my battery when it is this cold to stay charged all night. Nice park and reasonably priced especially for a KOA. Guess the casino helps supplement it.


Texas Welcome Center on a cold crisp morning

Tomorrow's plan is to circle around Dallas and head west to a small town called Andrews, TX. I found that they have free camping with electric. The sites are behind the Chamber of Commerce building. Wish more small towns did that :-). Andrews is just a little northwest of Midland, TX and I checked the weather and is supposed to be in 40s tomorrow. Will seem like a heat wave.


Andrews, TX Chamber

My intent is to start relaxing when I get to the Carlsbad/Guadalupe National Park area. I've been checking the national weather service website and it looks like it will be in the 60s by the weekend. That sounds good to me.

Jan. 13, 2011

I spent the night in Andrews, TX. The Chamber of Commerce has about 8 RV hookups behind their building, first come first serve. They are free, but one can make a donation if they wish. There is a park about a block north of the RV park with a nice lake. It would make a wonderful walk on a warmer evening. The drive across this part of Texas is pretty boring, just flat and scrub brush, with oil wells dotted here and there. One would have to be an oil man to appreciate the scenery here. I am heading for Carlsbad Caverns NP and then on to Guadalupe Mountain NP. Since they are off the beaten path one has to want to get there.

Jan. 14, 2011

I took a two plus mile hike in the dark and it wasn't even night time. How could that be, you ask? I toured Carlsbad Caverns today. What a magnificent natural wonder it is. I've toured many caves back home but I have never seen any with the multitude of formations this cave has. It is a self guided tour. One is free to hike from the surface down into the cave, a descent of about 1000' and hike a specific trail through an area called 'The Big Room', about 2.5 miles total.


Cave opening at Carlsbad


A vintage camper (1953 Terry) spotted at Carlsbad

Tonight I am at Guadalupe Mtn.NP camped at Pine Springs with plans to hike a few trials tomorrow.


Campsite at Guadalupe Mountain NP

Jan. 15, 2011

I woke up early and got a 7:30 start on hiking this morning. I hiked the Devil's Hall Trail this morning and the McKittrick Canyon Trail to Pratt Lodge this afternoon, about 10 miles total. It was gorgeous weather. I started out with three sweat shirts, layered, and ended up with a t-shirt by afternoon.


Campsite from Devil's Hall Trail


Madron Tree on Devil's Hall Trail


Maples and yuccas on Devil's Hall Trail

The diversity of habitat in this area is amazing, everything from agave and century plant cacti to pine trees and even maple trees. These were both great hikes and well worth the time.


Relaxing on the front porch of Pratt Lodge


Roof at Pratt Lodge

Pratt Lodge was built in 1930, and is all stone, even the roof, except for a few pines beams. It is a 2.5 mile hike into the lodge and when I got there I was impressed with the beauty and the solitude of the place. There are a couple of Adirondack chairs on the front porch and I sat and enjoyed the peacefulness, and thought of Pratt enjoying the same 80 years ago. He donated all of McKittrick canyon that he owned to the national park service. He and a fellow named Hunter who owned thousands of acres of land he ranched combined their efforts and land to get the park established. It truly amazes me that there are concerned and generous people who dedicate so much for all of us. It is an amazing park. Thank you Mr. Pratt and Mr. Hunter.


Jan. 16, 2011

Left Guadalupe Mtn. NP this morning and headed for central New Mexico. I passed through El Paso and found it very nice. I was surprised since I had heard so many negatives about it. I resupplied at Las Cruces and then headed for Rock Hound State Park south of Deming, NM. There was one site left when I got here so I grabbed it. Had time to take a hike and scrounge for rocks. Talked with several other campers to learn their stories and had an amazing chance to photograph the moon rising over a bluff. Tomorrow, Arizona.


Camp ground at Rock Hound State Park


Moonrise from trail at Rock Hound State Park

Jan. 17, 2011

Arrived in Arizona without fanfare, they obviously didn't know I was coming. Took I-10 to Wilcox and then headed south to Chiracahua National Monument. What a wonderful place. Got here just in time to get a campsite and then take a ranger guided tour of Faraway Ranch. This was originally a homestead that was established around 1888 right after Cochise signed a peace treaty and was shipped off to Florida. Around 1917 it was turned into a dude ranch and continued to be such until 1972 and was finally sold to the National Park service in the mid 70s and they have made it an historic building. It was a great tour.


Faraway Ranch House at Chiricahua National Monument


View from Massai Point, Chiricahua National Monument


Campsite at Chiricahua National Monument

The weather continues to be nice with lows in the 40s and highs in the 70's.

Jan. 18, 2011

I got another early start since I wanted to hike the Echo Canyon Loop today. I got on the the trail at 8:30 well before others and it was very nice to have it all to myself. I didn't see another soul on my whole hike. It is only about a 3.5 mile hike but has a 500' altitude variance so it was a good workout for this flatlander. What a lovely place this is, with huge stone formations that beg naming and, at lower levels, Ponderosa Pine that reminds me of hiking the Tetons or Wind Rivers. It was a great hike. When I arrived back at the trail head there were about 10 cars so it was worthwhile to get an early start to experience the solitude of this wonderful place.


Shadow on Echo Canyon Loop Trail

I drove to Bisbee, AZ from here but wasn't too impressed with it. It has a lot of cute shops and a nice downtown area but it is also ugly, in that there is a huge hole in the ground where they have virtually removed a mountain to dig up the minerals. I did get some photos of a vintage RV park there named Shady Dell. What fun!


Office at Shady Dell


Vintage campers at Shady Dell

I didn't spend but a couple of hours there and then headed north to Tombstone to see the streets that cousins Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan experienced. I'm sure it is very much changed from when they were here. It is a fun place though, even though it is a tourist trap now.


Stage coach at Tombstone


Girls at Tombstone


One of the girls at Big Nosed Kate's Saloon

I had supper nt Big Nosed Kate's Saloon. It was a lot of fun.


Campsite at Tombstone

I am at an RV Park tonight so have wifi so hope to catch up on my blog.


The streets of Tombstone at dusk

Night all.